Lower East Side

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Manhattan

LOCATION

Downtown Manhattan. The Lower East Side is now defined as the area below Houston, above Delancey (or Grand - as you prefer) and east of Bowery. It should be noted that in the first half of the 20th century everything up to 14th street - including today's East Village was considered part of the Lower East Side.

CHARACTER AND FEEL

Formerly known as the dirty and seedy neighborhood next to dirty and seedy Chinatown, the LES has completely transformed itself in the last few years.

It has always attracted an artsy crowd, in the 80s its cheap rents and clubs were a center for punks and artists alike. Now more cleaned up and refined, LES is home to countless artsy boutiques, bars, restaurants and galleries. Starting south of Houston to Delancey-ish and over to 2nd avenue, the area is always busy and bustling. The constant happenings can be great for some, but others may find its never sleep aura to be too much to handle.

APARTMENTS & REAL ESTATE

Apartments in general have been getting updated. LES used to be known for run-down slums, with crazy "features" like having your shower in your kitchen. This isn't really a regular happening anymore, although don't be surprised to find many 7th floor walkups. Also, don't judge a building by its foyer and stairway, they seem to be the last to get updated. You can find many buildings with dingy foyers that have neat and modern apartments.

One other problem is that many of the 2-bedroom apartments have one giant master bedroom and one tiny bedroom - something that's just bound to cause frustration between roommates!

If you're looking for deals, we recommend you look closer to the border with Chinatown: our sources indicate that the rents are lowest there.

Selected Rental Buildings:

104 Suffolk (104 Suffolk Street, Lower East Side) - 5-story walk-up building
181 East Houston street (181 East Houston street, Lower East Side) - Walk-up building.
25 Clinton (25 Clinton Street, Lower East Side) - Inexpensive furnished downtown apartments for long or short term.
68 Clinton street (68 Clinton street, Lower East Side) - Walk-up building.
Avalon Chrystie Palace (229 Chrystie Street, Lower East Side) - 361-unit rental building completed in 2005. Avalon Chrystie Place was designed by Arquitectonica. SLCE ar....

See all Lower East Side Rental Apartment Buildings

Selected No-Fee Rental Listings:

new! $6,600 2-Bedroom at Avalon Chrystie Palace (available July 7, 2008) posted 05/12/08.
new! $3,095 1-Bedroom at 104 Suffolk (available August 1, 2008) posted 05/08/08.
new! $2,600 Studio at 25 Clinton (available August 22, 2008) posted 05/07/08.
new! $3,595 2-Bedroom at 68 Clinton street posted 05/04/08.
$1,625 Studio at 186 Orchard street (available June 1, 2008) posted 04/22/08.

See all Lower East Side No Fee Rental Apartments (26 total)

Condo Buildings:

186 Orchard street (186 Orchard street, Lower East Side) - Walk-up building
195 Bowery (195 Bowery street, Lower East Side)
Blue (105 Norfolk street, Lower East Side) - An unusually shaped blue tower (designed, as the architects explain to maximize residential square footag....